When it really mattered Wales turned in their finest performance of the World Cup to beat Italy today and cement a place in the quarter-finals.
With New Zealand awaiting the Welsh in Sydney next week, this was effectively a Pool D play-off to join the All Blacks in the last eight of the World Cup.
The pressure was on Wales after an unconvincing performance against Tonga last weekend left the doom-mongers predicting a humbling defeat in Canberra.
If the All Blacks do win next weekend, as expected, Wales' opponents in the last eight will almost certainly be England in Brisbane - a repeat of the 1987 quarter-final won by the Welsh en route to a third-place finish.
They led today from the eighth minute when Mark Jones finished off a sweeping move to touch down in the corner and once Wales held the advantage there was nothing Italy could do to wrench it back.
Sonny Parker scored just before the interval after a break from Ceri Sweeney, and flanker Dafydd Jones peeled off the back of a maul for the hammer blow 20 minutes from time.
After two penalties from Italy out-half Rima Wakarua - who finished with all 15 points - had reduced the deficit to just five, it was Jones' score that finally finished off the Italians'.